By Omeiza Ajayi
ABUJA: The Federal Capital Territory Administration FCTA said security agencies in the territory have commenced profiling operators of markets dealing in fairly used goods and scrap metals, popularly known as “pantaker” in the territory.
The profiling began on Saturday, February 1.
Coordinator, Abuja Metropolitan Management Council AMMC, Chief Felix Obuah, disclosed this during a meeting with officials of the pantaker markets in Abuja.
According to Obuah, the move was to ensure effective monitoring and regulation of the operations of all such markets in the FCT.
The FCT Security Council, chaired by the Minister, Nyesom Wike had on January 13 announced a two-week suspension of operation of all pantaker markets in the territory.
The move was part of measures to check vandalism of public infrastructure especially manhole covers, bridge railings and streetlightsin the FCT.
He revealed that a recent raid across some pantaker markets by the Police and other security agencies had led to the recovery of public items worth more than N1 billion.
“Therefore, the FCT Administration and security agencies have decided that all pantaker operators must be registered and profiled.
“This will enable us to identify the genuine ones and determine who is doing what, how and where.
“This will also ensure effective monitoring and regulation of pantaker activities by both security agencies, Abuja Market Management Ltd and AMMC.
“We want to know who and who supplies you what? Who and who are you selling to? Let us have such a register for our records and for security action where necessary,” he said.
He advised the pantaker operators against buying illegal properties and patronising vandals, stressing that there would be no supply if there was no demand.
He urged them to alert security agencies whenever someone bought something suspicious to sell to them.
Also, Director, Security Services Department in the FCT Administration, Mr Adamu Gwary said only pantaker operators that were recognised by the Administration would be profiled and allowed to reopen.
Gwary added that all illegal pantaker operators must be registered and recognised by the Administration, and thereafter, profiled by security agencies before they would be allowed to operate.
On his part, the Commissioner of Police in the FCT, Mr Olatunji Disu, said the profiling of the pantaker operators would begin on Feb. 1.
“It is a disgrace that this kind of thing is happening here, in the FCT, and we have made up our minds to ensure that it stops
“We are not going to stop until we bring sanity in pantaker business.
“We are going to profile you to get a list of people that we think are capable enough to be trusted with the business of pantaker in the FCT,” he said.
Responding, the National Chairman of Pantaker Operators, Alhaji Abbas Bello, pledged the full support of the operators to the ongoing efforts to sanitise their operation.
Bello noted that there were criminal elements masquerading as pantaker operators in FCT, adding that the move would help to remove the bad eggs among them.